November 1, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

Our live coverage of Russia’s war in Ukraine has moved here.

Ukrainian military intelligence on Tuesday said Iran is planning to send more than 200 combat drones to Russian forces, including Iran’s new combat drone, the Arash-2.

Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, part of the defense ministry, said “a batch of more than 200 combat drones Shahed-136, Mohajer-6 and Arash-2 is planned to be sent from Iran to the Russian Federation at the beginning of November.”

The intelligence agency said in a post on Telegram that the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles “will be delivered via the Caspian Sea to the port of Astrakhan.”

The agency said the drones are being shipped in a disassembled state and once inside Russian territory, “they will be collected, repainted and applied with Russian markings.”

The intelligence agency did not specify how it obtained the information on the shipments and CNN cannot independently verify the details.

But it echoes reporting by CNN on Tuesday, citing officials from a western country that closely monitors Iran’s weapons program, that Iran was preparing a large shipment of drones and ballistic missiles to Russia.

Any Russian deployment of the Arash-2 drone to the war in Ukraine could put further pressure on the country’s already challenged air defenses. 

Since Sept. 13, when the Russians first used attack drones against Ukraine, the country’s air defense forces say they have shot down more than 300 attack drones — but dozens have managed to strike their targets and destroy vital energy infrastructure.

Some background: CNN’s Clarissa Ward said the deployment of the Arash-2 has the potential to be a “big game changer” in the war in Ukraine as it “can carry five times the explosives of the Shahed.” 

The existence of the Arash-2 was first revealed in 2019 but its precise capabilities remain unknown. The drone is named after Arash the Archer, a heroic figure from Iranian mythology who had the strongest shot with an arrow. Legend has it he fired an arrow that flew an entire morning and fell at noon over 2250 kilometers away. When Arash let his bow go, he is said to have fallen to the ground and passed away.

Ukraine’s military has accused Russian-installed officials in the southern region Kherson of spreading misinformation to coerce civilians to leave the region in a forced evacuation, a war crime.

In a statement on Tuesday, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said, “The occupiers continue the forced displacement of civilians in the temporarily occupied territories of Kherson region.”

“The enemy resorts to intimidation of civilians, spreading misinformation about a possible explosion of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam,” the statement said.

The Ukraine armed forces explained that the local population in Kherson has been “deprived of means of communication,” and are unable to get an accurate picture of what is really happening in the war.

Earlier in the week, Russian-installed officials announced a new evacuation from Kherson region of Ukraine, saying they are taking civilians to safety because of the risk Ukraine might use unconventional weapons.

“Due to the possibility of the use of prohibited methods of war by the Ukrainian regime, as well as information that Kyiv is preparing a massive missile strike on the Kakhovka hydroelectric station, there is an immediate danger of the Kherson region being flooded,” Vladimir Saldo, Russian-installed head of occupied Kherson province, said in a video message Monday.

Ukraine has categorically denied the allegation that it intends to blow up the dam and flood the area.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Kadri Simson, the European Commission’s top energy official in Kyiv on Tuesday.

Zelensky thanked Simson for her visit to Ukraine at a time when the energy infrastructure of the country is “under massive attack” by Russian missiles and drones, a statement from the Office of the President of Ukraine said.

The two discussed further steps to ensure Ukraine’s energy security amid Russia’s ongoing missile and drone attacks that have resulted in about 40% of Ukraine’s entire energy infrastructure of being seriously damaged.

Zelensky spoke in detail about Ukraine’s needs to restore energy infrastructure and called on the European Commission to play a coordinating role in attracting assistance from EU member states, according to the statement.

Zelensky also noted the role of Simson in helping Ukraine to join the European energy grid ENTSO-E, which, prior to the Russian invasion, saw Ukraine actually exporting energy to Europe. 

“Unfortunately, due to the strikes of missiles and kamikaze drones by the Russian Federation on our energy system, we have suspended this process,” Zelensky said. “But I am sure that we will restore everything, and in a calmer time, when the situation in our energy system will be stabilized, we will continue exporting electricity to Europe.”

The United States will “use every relevant and appropriate tool in our toolkit to expose, to confront, to counter” Iran’s provision of weapons to Russia, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Tuesday.

Speaking at a State Department briefing, Price said the US has “taken aim at Iran’s UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) proliferation networks over the course of months now,” and “we are always looking at targets that may be appropriate for this sort of response, sanctions, other, other financial measures.”

“We are concerned that Russia may also seek to acquire advanced conventional weapons from Iran, such as surface to surface missiles that will almost certainly be used to support Russia’s war against Ukraine,” Price said.

The spokesperson added the US will “vigorously” enforce all sanctions on both Russian and Iranian arms trade “to make it harder for Iran to sell these weapons to Russia.”

CNN reported Tuesday that Iran is preparing to send approximately 1,000 additional weapons, including surface-to-surface short range ballistic missiles and more attack drones, to Russia.

Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations have agreed to not plan for any ship movements in the Black Sea grain corridor on Wednesday, according to a statement from the UN Secretariat at the Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) in Istanbul on Tuesday.

UN and Turkish teams on Tuesday carried out 36 inspections aboard outbound vessels, according to the statement. They attempted to inspect another two ships, but the process was cut short because of “issues related to fumigated cargo,” the statement said. The inspection reports would be shared with Ukrainian and Russian delegation, it added.

“The UN Secretariat reiterates that movements and inspections carried out after the Russian Federation suspended its participation in implementation activities at the Joint Coordination Centre is a temporary and extraordinary measure,” according to the statement.

The JCC said earlier today that three ships had left Ukrainian ports Tuesday, despite Russia’s decision to suspend its participation in the arrangement on Saturday.

CNN’s Tim Lister contributed reporting to this post.

The Pentagon has concerns that Russia may seek additional advanced weapons from Iran to use in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, according to Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder.

“We do have concerns that Russia may also seek to acquire additional advanced munition capabilities from Iran, for example, surface-to-surface missiles, to use in Ukraine,” Ryder told reporters during a briefing at the Pentagon Tuesday.

CNN reported earlier Tuesday Iran is preparing to send approximately 1,000 additional weapons, including surface-to-surface short range ballistic missiles and more attack drones, to Russia to use in its war against Ukraine.

Iran has provided Russia with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and the Pentagon expects Russia will “likely seek more of those” from Iran, Ryder added. 

Russia seeking to obtain weapons from Iran is “indicative” of the two countries’ “continued collusion to attack Ukrainians,” Ryder said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that the country’s mobilization had been “completed” and that “the line has been drawn,” a suggestion that there would be no further drafts.

In recent months, he has defended the draft while its chaotic execution led to angry demonstrations and prompted hundreds of thousands to flee Russia.

Putin announced the mobilization in late September after Russia suffered a series of major setbacks on the battlefields in Ukraine. Officials said the draft’s target of recruiting 300,000 personnel had been met as of last week.

The rollout of the mobilization was beset by errors. Early on in the process, some residents in areas including Russia’s Far East Sakha Republic were conscripted “by mistake” despite not being eligible for mobilization, such as fathers of underage children, according to a local leader there.

Since it was announced, protests have erupted in ethnic minority regions, and some military enlistment offices have been set on fire. The original announcement also sparked rare anti-war demonstrations across Russia.

The country was forced to heighten security measures at military registration and enlistment offices “due to increasing attacks” on those facilities, a senior Russian official said in a previous CNN report.

Countless Russians have fled the country as a result of the partial mobilization. More than 200,000 people traveled from Russia into Georgia, Kazakhstan and the European Union in just the first week, collective data from those regions showed.

“I was angry and afraid,” Vadim, who left Russia for Kazakhstan with his grandmother after the announcement, told CNN this month. “We don’t want this war … we can’t change something in our country, though we have tried.”

And the benefits of the mobilization have also been questionable, according to experts. It is unclear whether the influx of newly-trained recruits has had any impact in ground fighting in eastern and southern Ukraine, where Kyiv has seen gains in recent weeks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during a phone call that any resumption of the grain deal can be considered only after an investigation into the Sevastopol drone attack, according to a readout by the Kremlin Tuesday.

According to the statement, a resumption of the deal can be considered only after “a detailed investigation into the circumstances of this incident, and also after receiving from Kyiv real guarantees of strict observance of the Istanbul agreements, in particular, on the non-use of the humanitarian corridor for military purposes.”

The two leaders held a phone call Tuesday following Russia’s decision to suspend its participation in the United Nations-brokered grain export deal with Ukraine over the weekend after alleging drone attacks on the Crimean city of Sevastopol. Ukraine has not commented on the drone attacks against Sevastopol.

On Saturday, a top Ukrainian official accused Russia of inventing “fictitious terrorist attacks” on its own facilities and blamed Moscow of “blackmail” in suspending the grain deal.

According to the Turkish presidency, Erdogan told Putin he was confident that “solution-oriented cooperation” could be established regarding the grain deal.

Ankara would “continue to take the necessary initiatives with all parties for the resolution of the problems with regard to the implementation of the Istanbul Agreement on grain shipment,” the Turkish presidency said in a tweet.  

“Voicing his confidence that they will establish solution-oriented cooperation on this issue, President Erdogan said that if they resolve the grain crisis with a constructive approach, they will also have encouraged steps for returning to negotiations,” the presidency added.  

Ukraine’s Air Force on Tuesday said it currently has no effective defense against the types of ballistic missile that Iran is preparing to ship to Russia to use in its war against Ukraine.

Yuriy Ihnat, spokesperson for Ukraine’s Air Force Command, said the range of the Iranian ballistic missiles being supplied, with “one having a range of 300km the other 700km,” will allow Russian forces to strike anywhere inside Ukraine.

“There is a high probability that they will be delivered to the north above Ukraine [border], from where they can be launched to threaten the entire Ukraine,” Ihnat said at a press conference in Kyiv on Tuesday.

Earlier on Tuesday, CNN reported that Iran is preparing to send about 1,000 additional weapons, including surface-to-surface short range ballistic missiles and more attack drones for Russia to use against Ukraine. 

Asked whether Ukraine’s Armed Forces were ready to defend against these types of Iranian ballistic missiles, Ihnat replied that they “will take all measures and means of protection against these missiles” that they can. 

However, Ihnat warned “currently we have no effective defense against these missiles. It is theoretically possible to shoot them down, but it is very difficult to do it with the means we currently have.” 

Ihnat said he believed Russia is being sent the Iranian ballistic missiles to boost its dwindling supply of Russian-built Iskander-M missiles.

“It is obvious that these missiles are coming to them to supplement these Iskanders, because they are actually running out of Iskanders,” he said.

Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, called Tehran “an accomplice of aggression.”

“Transferring missiles to the Russian Federation, Iran knows that it will attack our cities. Teaching Russians to use drones, it knows that they will attack Ukraine’s energy sector, provoking waves of refugees to EU,” he tweeted.

The top US diplomat for European affairs is visiting Ukraine this week, the State Department announced Tuesday. 

The focus of Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried’s trip “is to underscore unwavering and enduring U.S. support for Ukraine as it defends its freedom and territorial integrity from Russia’s brutal war,” the department said in a statement. 

Her trip comes amid an uptick in Russian attacks on critical infrastructure in Ukraine and one week before the US midterm elections. 

“While there, Dr. Donfried will meet with members of Ukraine’s presidential administration, foreign ministry officials, and other members of President Zelenskyy’s cabinet to discuss our ongoing efforts to provide security assistance and energy support, and help Ukraine’s reform and reconstruction efforts,” the State Department said.

“Additionally, she will hear from Ukraine’s civil society leaders on how we and our partners can continue to help the Ukrainian people achieve their aspirations and unlock their country’s potential,” it said.

Donfried will also meet with members of the US Embassy in Kyiv, according to the statement.

French President Emmanuel Macron told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Tuesday that France would help Ukraine get through the winter, according to a readout of the call released by the Élysée Palace. 

Macron said France would strengthen Ukraine’s anti-air defense capabilities, as well as repair and restore its energy infrastructure.

Macron said he agreed with Zelensky to hold an international conference in Paris on Dec. 13 to support Ukraine’s civilians through the winter period.

The two presidents also agreed to organize a bilateral conference on Dec. 12 to rally support from French companies.

Macron and Zelensky also discussed Russia’s decision to back out of an agreement that guaranteed safe passage for ships carrying vital grain exports. They also spoke about the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. 

Zelensky earlier tweeted that he held an “extremely important and productive conversation with” Macron Tuesday.

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said that the way to achieving peace in Ukraine is “to push Russia out.”

Speaking a press conference Tuesday in Tallinn, Kallas said that “even if you have peace, but there’s occupation, it doesn’t mean that the human suffering for those people will stop.”

“Ukraine needs to win this war,” she said.

The prime minister added that “Russia is trying to use all the means possible to have a pause, so that they could regroup and continue later, to ultimately get something that wasn’t theirs to begin with.”

Kallas warned that the price of fatigue over the war would be too high because “if the aggression pays off somewhere, it serves as an invitation to use it elsewhere.”

She said that Ukraine needs air defense support, as well as economic and humanitarian assistance.

Kallas also condemned the recent attacks on Ukrainian critical infrastructure, calling them “terrorist tactics.”

Monday’s attacks, she said, are “another example of it; hundreds of thousands of households left without electricity, many without water.”

The United Kingdom has said it is refusing to be “drawn into” Russia’s attempt to cause distractions by claiming the UK played a part in the damage of the Nord Stream pipeline.

“Obviously, we’re carefully monitoring the situation, but it is right to not be drawn into these sorts of distractions, which is part of the Russian playbook,” the British prime minister’s spokesperson told a lobby briefing on Tuesday. 

Some background: Last week, the Russian defense ministry accused the UK of helping Ukraine to plan Saturday’s drone attacks on the Crimean city of Sevastopol, claiming these were conducted under the guidance of British navy specialists. It also accused representatives of the UK’s navy of being involved in explosions at the Nord Stream gas pipelines last month. 

The UK remains focused on Russia’s continuous “bombardment of civilians and attacks on civilian infrastructure” in Ukraine, the spokesperson added, stressing the UK’s commitment to providing “support, so that they [Russia] lose this illegal war.”

The UK’s foreign partners have been quick to decry the allegations, with the French foreign ministry branding them completely “baseless” in a statement Sunday. 

The Ukrainian military said that Russian forces continue to carry out artillery and rocket attacks throughout the front lines, stretching from Kharkiv in the north to Zaporizhzhia in the south. Altogether, it said, more than 50 settlements were hit from Sunday to Monday night.

In the east: Parts of the Donetsk region were among those hardest hit, with Soledar, Vuhledar and Bakhmut districts coming under fire. Ukrainian forces still hold Bakhmut, but along with settlements to the east and south, it is under daily attack.  

The Ukrainian military’s General Staff also reported heavy shelling in areas to the west of the city of Donetsk that have been contested for several months. 

It said the Russians continue to shell recently liberated parts of Kharkiv and Luhansk, where Ukrainian forces have been edging forward toward Russian resupply routes. Several settlements in Kharkiv region close to the Russian border were also shelled, it said.

Further south, Ukraine appears to have targeted a Russian military headquarters in the town of Volnovakha in Donetsk region with long-range rockets.

Yurii Mysiagin, the deputy head of parliamentary committee on national security, intelligence and defense, said it was reported that the Akhtamar hotel on the Mariupol-Donetsk highway, where Chechen forces were based, was hit.

The local Russian-backed authorities in Donetsk confirmed the building was destroyed but gave no further details.

In the south: As Ukrainian forces try to push further into the southern region of Kherson, the Russians continue to respond with shelling by tanks and artillery across a wide area, according to the General Staff. Several settlements in Zaporizhzhia came under fire, and the city of Mykolaiv was also hit again on Monday night. Two S-300 missiles struck the city, and one residential building was demolished. One woman was reported killed by the mayor’s office. 

The General Staff echoed the comments of regional officials that in Kakhovka, on the Dnieper river, “citizens living in apartments along the banks of the Dnipro are forcibly evicted from their homes.”

It said Russian forces were building fortifications and laying “mine-explosive barriers around civilian housing.”

Ukrainian officials said that rather than leave the west bank in Kherson, Russian units appear to be digging in.

The leaders of Finland and Sweden have expressed their hopes that Turkey and Hungary ratify their membership applications to NATO “sooner rather than later.” 

During a joint press conference in Helsinki, Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said she had a phone call with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg earlier Tuesday to discuss “the ratification of our membership application.”

“Our eyes are now on Hungary, and of course, Turkey, and we are waiting for these countries to ratify our applications. I think it would be very important that this would happen preferably sooner than later,” Marin said. 

Some background: Sweden and Finland signed a memorandum with Turkey in June, committing to address Turkey’s security concerns around terrorism and arms exports after Ankara opposed their initial bid to join the alliance.

Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels on Oct. 26 that Hungary had “made it clear” that they would ratify the accession protocol soon, enabling the two countries to become fully fledged members of the alliance.

Marin’s Swedish counterpart, Ulf Kristersson, emphasized the “speedy” nature of the ratification process, highlighting the fact that 28 out of 30 members of the alliances have already ratified their applications.

“We fully respect that every country within the alliance makes their own decision. I had a telephone call [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan the other day and we agreed on me coming to Ankara, and I will communicate the exact date when it is formally confirmed,” Kristersson added. 

Sweden and Finland both announced their intention to join NATO in May, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine caused a sudden shift in attitudes toward joining the bloc.

If you’re just joining us, here’s what you need to know about the latest in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Russia completes “partial mobilization”: The Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement Monday that all partial mobilization activities, including summons deliveries, have been suspended. Military units will only be accepting volunteers and contractors from now on. President Vladimir Putin said the mobilization was “complete.” Asked if he would sign a decree ending the conscription drive, Putin replied he would consult with lawyers over the next steps.

Battle for Kherson intensifies: The battle for the southern city of Kherson is intensifying, as Ukrainian forces try to push through Russian defenses and occupying forces ramp up pressure on residents to abandon their homes. Both sides have reported heavy fighting in the Beryslav district of the Russian-occupied city, where’s Kyiv’s forces are attempting to break through. Much of the fighting is in open, flat countryside west of the river Dnipro. Amid the clashes, civilians are still leaving Kherson.

Water and power restored after Monday’s strikes: Russia launched a barrage of missile strikes at Ukrainian cities on Monday as it ramped up its attacks on infrastructure facilities across the country. This had left 80% of Kyiv residents without water and many lost electricity, too. The mayor said crews worked for almost 24 hours to restore the water and electricity supply to residents of the city. While electricity has been restored, Klitschko warned that power cuts would still be necessary given the “significant” impact of Russia’s recent attacks on critical infrastructure.

Grain ships are still leaving Ukraine: Three more ships have left Ukrainian ports Tuesday, despite Russia’s decision to suspend its participation in the arrangement over the weekend, according to The Joint Coordination Center for the “grain corridor” in the Black Sea. Two vessels had left the Black Sea port of Chornomorsk and one had departed Yuzhny, with cargos for Germany, Libya and Morocco. Collectively, the three ships are carrying 84,490 tons of grain and food products. Fourteen vessels used the corridor Monday.

Here’s where the state of control stands in Ukraine:

The US has begun conducting on-site inspections of weapons stockpiles in Ukraine as part of a broad effort to assure US provided weapons are not illegally diverted, according to the Pentagon.

It’s the first public acknowledgement that troops are being used for other than embassy protection. The effort is being led by Brig. Gen. Garrick Harmon, the US defense attaché to Ukraine, along with the embassy’s defense cooperation office.

The effort comes as some in Congress are calling for increased scrutiny of the billons of dollars in weapons being sent. Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin has recently discussed the need for weapons accountability with the Ukrainians the official said.

While the US has not seen “credible evidence of the diversion of US provided weapons” in Ukraine, according a senior US defense official, the administration has been taking steps to prevent such diversions, including conduction inspections of US weapons stocks on the ground in Ukraine “wherever the security conditions allow.”

The official would not say where such inspections have taken place, but did say that “in each instance, our team from Kyiv from the US embassy has found the Ukrainians to be very transparent and able to support inspections.”

The official described a detailed effort that begins with the US establishing detailed records of each shipment just before it enters Ukraine. Then once in Ukraine, that government logs and tracks weapons from the border to the front line. Ukraine also details weapon damage in the field so losses can be tracked.

Additionally, “DOD is conducting hands-on training with the Ukrainian Armed Forces on US best practices so they can provide better data, for example, from sites close to the front lines that U.S. personnel cannot visit,” the official said.

Another defense official noted that effort in Ukraine is similar to other efforts conducted by US embassies around the world but in Ukraine changing security conditions dictate what can be accomplished.

Icelandic Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir said Nordic nations’ backing for Kyiv “remains solid and unwavering,” as the grueling war in Ukraine has passed the eighth-month mark.

Russia’s invasion has had “devastating consequences for the people of Ukraine, and serious and wide ranging effects on all of us: on our security, on our energy economy and food security around the world,” Jakobsdóttir said at a meeting of the Nordic Council in the Finnish capital of Helsinki on Tuesday.

The council represents Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and the autonomous region of Åland.

“We are united in our response to Russia as it wages its brutal war against Ukraine,” said Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin, who was hosting the conference.

Marin stated that Nordic countries “are committed partners in defending the multilateral system and Ukraine’s sovereignty against Russian aggression.”

When asked what concrete actions the countries were taking to support Ukraine, Marin stressed that “we are not only talking — we are acting, and we are acting united, we are acting together.” 

Jonas Gahr Støre, the Norwegian prime minister, said that Nordic countries are continuing to provide “financial support for running the state, humanitarian support, medical support” and are “receiving refugees.”

He added that the coalition supports “Ukraine’s right to defend itself, which means that we are providing military equipment to Ukraine and we are committed to continue to do so.”

Nordic leaders have remained staunch allies of Kyiv and vociferously criticized the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine.

The Joint Coordination Center for the “grain corridor” in the Black Sea said three more ships have left Ukrainian ports Tuesday, despite Russia’s decision to suspend its participation in the arrangement over the weekend.

The United Nations Secretariat at the JCC in Istanbul said the “movement of these vessels has been agreed by the Ukrainian, Turkish and UN delegations to the JCC. The Russian delegation to the JCC has been informed.” 

Two vessels had left the Black Sea port of Chornomorsk and one had departed Yuzhny, with cargos for Germany, Libya and Morocco, it said.

Collectively, the three ships are carrying 84,490 tons of grain and food products. 

“As of today, the total tonnage of grains and foodstuffs moved from Ukrainian ports under the Black Sea Grain Initiative is 9,729,083 metric tons,” the UN said. 

It also noted that UN and Turkish inspectors had started inspection work on board outbound vessels traveling via Turkey to foreign markets. On Monday, 46 inspections on board outbound vessels were completed by UN and Turkish inspectors, it said.

Fourteen vessels used the corridor Monday.

The UN is continuing discussions with Russian officials in an effort to revive full participation in the initiative. 

“The UN Coordinator for the Black Sea Grain Initiative Amir Abdulla continues his discussions with all three member state parties in an effort to resume full participation at the Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) following the suspension of the participation of the Russian Federation delegation,” the UN Secretariat said.

Iran is preparing to send approximately 1,000 additional weapons, including surface-to-surface short range ballistic missiles and more attack drones, to Russia to use in its war against Ukraine, officials from a western country that closely monitors Iran’s weapons program told CNN.

The shipment is being closely monitored because it would be the first instance of Iran sending advanced precision guided missiles to Russia, which could give the Kremlin a substantial boost on the battlefield.

The last shipment of weapons from Iran to Russia included about 450 drones, officials said, which the Russians have already used to deadly effect in Ukraine. Ukrainian officials said last week that they have shot down more than 300 Iranian drones. 

This new expected shipment would mark a significant increase in Iranian support to Russia’s war effort. While the precise timing of when the shipment will arrive in Russia is unclear, officials believe the weapons will definitely be delivered before the end of the year. 

Drones have played a significant role in the conflict since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late February, but their use has increased since the summer, when the United States and Kyiv say Moscow acquired drones from Iran. In recent weeks these Iranian drones have been used to target critical energy infrastructure in Ukraine. 

A senior US defense official on Monday said they didn’t have any information to provide on the suggestion Iran is preparing to send missiles to Russia for use in Ukraine.

The Iranian mission to the United Nations did not respond to a request for comment about the new expected shipment. Iran has previously denied supplying Russia with weapons for use in Ukraine, saying it “has not and will not” do so. 

The Washington Post was first to report Iran’s plans to send missiles and additional drones to Russia. 

Some background: Last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US was “looking at everything that we can do, not just with sanctions” in order to disrupt the Iranian weaponry from going to Russia. But it is unclear if the US will be able to prohibit further shipments from going ahead, even as concerns mount about Iranians sending even more advanced weaponry to Russia. US officials have also said that they are aware of discussions about additional Iranian weaponry to Russia that has not yet been delivered. 

Read the full story here.

The battle for the southern city of Kherson is intensifying, as Ukrainian forces try to push through Russian defenses and occupying forces ramp up pressure on residents to abandon their homes.

Both sides have reported heavy fighting in the Beryslav district of the Russian-occupied city, where’s Kyiv’s forces are attempting to break through.

Kirill Stremousov, the Russian-backed deputy head of Kherson region military administration, said on Telegram that Ukrainians were “trying in every possible way, by reconnaissance battle, to break through in the Beryslav direction,” but that “all attempts are repulsed.” He added that about 70 were killed and several pieces of equipment were destroyed.

Ukrainian officials in the southern region said Russian forces had shelled several communities in the area. “The enemy continues to defend and tries to hold the occupied lines,” Ukraine’s Operational Command South said. It also claimed a Russian attack helicopter had been shot down in the Kherson region.

Much of the fighting is in open, flat countryside west of the river Dnipro. 

Amid the clashes, civilians are still leaving Kherson. According to the Ukrainian side, people are being evicted from their homes and forced to cross to the east bank of the river Dnipro.

“Occupiers evict people en masse from their homes,” according to Vitaliy Kim, head of the Mykolaiv regional administration.

“The bottom line is that they settle their people only in houses where there are good conditions – water, gas, electricity. What does it look like? First, that they are going to be there for a long time. Second, they provide better conditions for their mobilized than they have at home,” Kim said on Telegram. 

“The Russians, at the expense of the civilian population of the Kherson region, create living conditions for their mobilized, so that they like living there. They are going to create an almost militarized zone on the east bank of the Dnipro, sort of a buffer near Crimea.”

Some background: Russian forces have evacuated civilians from Kherson while fortifying their defenses in the region, a move some humanitarian bodies said constitutes human rights violations.

India’s oil minister has said he has “absolutely” no moral conflict about purchasing Russian gas amid Moscow’s brutal war in Ukraine.

Concerning the proposed cap on Russian oil put forth by the Group of Seven (G7) wealthy nations, Puri said India will examine it and respond “according to its supreme national interest.” He added that India did not feel any pressure to do so. 

India’s imports of Russian oil stood at 0.2% of total imports at the end of March, Puri said. Reuters reported that surged to a record high of 23% in September.

In September, the US was in talks with Delhi about rethinking its reliance on Russian arms and energy, as Western allies of Kyiv have made efforts to diversify their energy supply in order to wean themselves off Russian oil.

The European Union has condemned what it says is Moscow’s campaign to conscript men in annexed Crimea into the Russian military.

In a statement, the EU said Crimean Tatars were being “deliberately and disproportionately targeted in the implementation of Russia’s mobilization order and reportedly forcibly involved in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, their traditional homeland.” 

On Monday, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said the conscription campaign in Crimea was the 16th since 2015.

“In this time, the Russian occupation administration in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol illegally forced about 36,000 Ukrainians into military service,” it said.

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry added that “a mobilization campaign is also underway in Crimea, the nature and methods of which testify to the desire of the Russian military-political leadership to reduce the number of Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars on the peninsula.”

Conscription controversy: On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow’s “partial mobilization” of citizens to fight in its war against Ukraine has been completed. The conscription drive has been beset by errors, caused angry protests and prompted a mass exodus of Russians to neighboring countries since it was announced in September.

Russia’s “partial mobilization” of citizens to fight in its war against Ukraine has been completed, President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday.

Asked during a news conference if he would sign a decree ending the conscription drive he announced on September 21, Putin replied he would consult with lawyers over the next steps.

“Frankly speaking, I didn’t even think about it. I will discuss with lawyers whether it is necessary to announce by decree that it has been completed,” he said at the event in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. “But it’s completed. The line has been drawn.”

The Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement Monday that all mobilization activities, including the delivery of summons, was complete.

Citing the ministry, Putin said 41,000 of those recruited were currently in combat formations of the Russian Armed Forces. 

“That is, almost 260,000 people are not participating in any hostilities but are being trained,” Putin said.

Some context: Moscow’s conscription drive has been beset by errors, caused angry protests and prompted a mass exodus since it was announced in September.

Protests have erupted in ethnic minority regions, and some military enlistment offices have been set on fire. The original announcement also sparked rare anti-war demonstrations across Russia.

The country was forced to heighten security measures at military registration and enlistment offices “due to increasing attacks” on those facilities, a senior Russian official said in a previous CNN report.

Countless Russians have fled the country as a result of the partial mobilization. More than 200,000 people traveled from Russia into Georgia, Kazakhstan and the European Union in just the first week, collective data from those regions showed.

Water and power has been fully restored in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, the city’s mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram Tuesday morning. 

The mayor said crews worked for almost 24 hours to restore the water and electricity supply to residents of the city after Russia launched a fresh barrage of missile strikes on key infrastructure facilities in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities Monday.

While electricity has been restored, Klitschko warned that power cuts would still be necessary given the “significant” impact of Russia’s recent attacks on critical infrastructure.

Billionaire entrepreneur Oleg Tinkov said Monday he was renouncing his Russian citizenship due to the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine.

The post has since been taken down, but photos of it have circulated on social media and been reported by Russian state media. It included a photo showing a certificate of his renunciation of Russian citizenship, dated October 26.

Some background: Tinkov is the founder of TSC group, the parent company of Tinkoff Bank. He recently sold his 35% stake in TSC to a firm controlled by Russian billionaire Vladimir Potanin, Reuters reported in April, citing the company. 

Tinkov was among 65 individuals and entities sanctioned by the United Kingdom on March 24 for “supporting Russia’s illegal invasion.”

He has repeatedly condemned what he has described as Russia’s “insane war” against Ukraine.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Çavuşoğlu about conditions for resuming its participation in a critical grain deal, Russian state news agency TASS reported late Monday, citing Russia’s Foreign Ministry. 

According to TASS, Lavrov told his Turkish counterpart that the resumption of ships carrying grain through the grain-export corridor will only be possible with “necessary guarantees” from Kyiv.

Lavrov told Çavuşoğlu that Kyiv must guarantee it won’t use the humanitarian corridor and Ukrainian ports for actions against Russia, state media reported. 

Some background: Russia announced Saturday it would suspend its participation in the United Nations-brokered grain export deal with Ukraine after alleging drone attacks on the Crimean city of Sevastopol.

The Black Sea grain deal between Russia and Ukraine was brokered in July by the UN and Turkey. Erdoğan has said Ankara is determined to try and keep the Black Sea grain initiative alive despite Moscow’s withdrawal. 

Despite Russia’s withdrawal, 12 vessels carrying grain and other agricultural products left Ukraine’s Black Sea ports on Monday, Oleksandr Kubrakov, the Minister of Infrastructure announced on Twitter.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday that repair work continues after Russian missile strikes on Ukraine’s power infrastructure — and that a majority of the missiles fired had been brought down by air defenses.

“At this time, restoration works are still ongoing in the regions where Russian missiles hit today. We are doing everything possible to restore energy and water supply,” Zelensky said in his daily video message Monday.
“If someone in the Kremlin has listened to their crazy propagandists and decided that the darkness in Ukraine will help pressure Ukrainians, then let them not be surprised with their losses when they see how Ukrainians are conducting ‘negotiations’ in the dark.”

Zelensky repeated the military’s statement that of the 55 cruise missiles fired, 45 were shot down. 

“For every 10 hits, the terrorists have to expend at least four times more missiles,” Zelensky said. “Russia’s performance on drones is even worse, including those supplied by their Iranian allies.

“The wreckage of a Russian missile that fell on the territory of Moldova only reminds us how important it is to defend ourselves together against this evil,” Zelensky added.

Some context: Several houses were damaged Monday in the Moldovan village of Naslavcea — on the border with Ukraine — after a missile shot down by Ukrainian forces hit the northern part of the village, according to the Interior Ministry of Moldova.

Experts from the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog have started their inspection at two locations that Russia said Ukraine was using to develop “dirty bombs,” a statement from the International Atomic Energy Agency said on Monday. 

Russia has repeatedly claimed that Ukraine is conspiring to use a “dirty bomb” — a device that contains nuclear materials along with traditional explosives — in what Moscow says would be a false flag operation to blame Russia. 

The claims have been rejected by Ukraine as well as its Western allies, including the US and the UK.  

The inspections are being carried out after a written request from Ukraine following Moscow’s claims, the statement said, adding that the agency’s chief Rafael Grossi would provide his “initial conclusions” later this week. 

Russia has announced a stop to its “partial mobilization” of citizens to fight in the country’s war on Ukraine.

The Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement Monday that all partial mobilization activities, including summons deliveries, have been suspended.

Military units will only be accepting volunteers and contractors from now on, the statement continued.

Commenting on behalf of the Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, the ministry said the commanders of military districts and the Northern Fleet were sent orders to submit reports on the completion of partial mobilization activities by November 1.

The ministry’s announcement does not constitute an official end to the country’s partial mobilization, however. This can only be done with an official decree from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Read more here.

Russia launched a barrage of missile strikes at Ukrainian cities on Monday as it ramped up its attacks on infrastructure facilities across the country.

Explosions and air raid sirens were heard in Kyiv early on Monday and 80% of residents were left without water — with many losing electricity, too — following power outages caused by Russian strikes, the capital’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said on Telegram.

One of the strikes hit an energy facility that powered 350,000 apartments in the capital, Klitschko said, adding that emergency services were attempting to restore power and “stabilize the situation as soon as possible.”

Attacks on critical infrastructure in the central regions of Cherkasy and Kirovohrad, the northeastern region of Kharkiv, and the southeastern region of Zaphorizhzhia were also reported.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that the onslaught was “partly” a response to an attack on Russia’s fleet in the Crimean city of Sevastopol on Saturday, which he blamed on Kyiv. Russia illegally annexed the Ukrainian peninsula in 2014 and has controlled the territory since then.

Putin also warned that the strikes are “not all we could do.”

Read more here.